Customer Reviews

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Do yourself a favor and pick this up. The new tables and HD textures make it worth the upgrade from the earlier PS2 and Wii release.

The physics are perfect (as they were before), and the new tables easily make it worth the budget asking price. I encourage anyone who wants to see more of this immediately buy it to support the developer.

The three new tables are all modern titles which make them very accessible. They are Arabian Nights, Medieval Madness, No Good Gofers like Amazon states. For some reason there seems to be some discrepancy between the few reviews that are online. Arabian Nights and Medieval Madness are especially good.

The HD textures are beautiful, even on my older SDTV with composite cables. Full screen (4x3) is supported as well. It's a notable improvement from the PS2 release.

The controls are straightforward. The left and right triggers are the bumpers. You pull the right analog stick back to launch the plunger and the left analog nudges the table.

If you're curious about the music it's the same cheesy set of tunes the PS2 release had. Thankfully you can turn it off and listen to a custom soundtrack on the 360 version. Otherwise you'll be rocking out to some bad synth and wanna-be metal tunes.

A welcome addition is the online leader board. This greatly improves the replay value. I was able to rank in Funhouse after only a few plays.

The price on Amazon is a steal. I bought it locally at a higher price because I've been waiting anxiously for its release ever since it was announced.

I purchased this game because of the inclusion of Medieval Madness. It's very difficult to find a real machine in good working order to play, so it was worth the asking price for that table alone. I'd almost say the game is better than the real thing because everything is actually working. From a physics and flipper control standpoint, it's nearly spot on. If you like Pinball or have fond memories of any of these tables, you can't go wrong with this game.

The biggest complaint I'd have is that the replay "POP" doesn't quite have the same effect as in real life.

The three new tables really make this title shine. The previous version had a lot of good but was missing more modern tables due to having to include the dot matrix display. The display is included here (in the upper left hand corner)which really adds to the fun. The HD upgrade is also nice. The the three new tables No Good Gophers, Tales of The Arabian Nights, and Medevial Madness are endless fun. Since MM is the lead title in this edition it's set to free play from the beginning.
If you love pinball particularly the over the top kind you need to have this in your collection. Now that the power of the current gen consoles had shown I'm hoping to see future sequels perhaps one spotlighting Bally machines.

I've never played any of the past releases of this game even though I heard great things about it. Once I read that Pinball Hall of Fame was coming out on the Xbox 360, I knew it was time to buy it.

There are a total of 13 tables included with the game. I will list them by year.

Jive Time (1970)
Gogar (1979)
Firepower (1980)
Black Knight (1980)
Sorcerer (1980)
Space Shuttle (1984)
Pinbot (1986)
Taxi (1988)
Whirlwind (1990)
Funhouse (1990)
Tales of the Arabian Nights (1996)
Medieval Madness (1997)
No Good Gophers (1997)

Every single table in the game looks fantastic and are fun to play on.

I used to play Pinball FX on the Xbox Live Arcade before I tried Pinball HoF and I must say that Pinball Hall of Fame blows Pinball FX out of the water. The movement of the ball in Pinball HoF is the closest I've seen to playing in real life. I can't stress enough how much fun this game is.

Also the price point is very good. At $30, it comes out to $2.30 per table. Not a bad deal considering one downloadable table in Pinball FX will cost you $3.00 in Microsoft Points (240 MSP).

There is no online multiplayer, but you can play up to four players offline. There are also leaderboards so you can compare your score against other players on Xbox Live. The one thing I do not like about the leaderboards is that you cannot sort to show just your friends score. If this can be fixed through a patch I would be very happy.

I also heard that the developers were looking to add in some DLC tables later on down the road. This may include some licensed tables too. So there's a chance we can get Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Monster Bash, and more!

If you are a fan of pinball, do yourself a favor like Kyle said in his review and buy this game! You will not regret your purchase!

I had no idea that pinball on a console could be this fun. I've owned other pinball simulations in the past and typically either the graphics were sub par or the physics didn't hold a candle to the real thing. This game though nails it perfectly - 60fps, real world physics and hi-resolution textures scanned from the actual pinball machines. If there was any caveat on this game I'd say it's the lame background music. Yes you can select which tunes to play while playing your game (pretty much a weak selection of 80's glam band rock music) but in my opinion your best bet is to mute it in the audio options screen and play pinball with nothing but the sound of the machines themselves. Plus who really cares? You're not buying this game to listen to this in the first place.

DEFINITELY A MUST BUY FOR ANYONE WHO EVEN SLIGHTLY LIKES PINBALL. Granted there's only ONE pinball manufacturer left in the Unites States (Stern), but hopefully well-crafted games like this will only renew interest in practically a dead format and rejuvenate an ailing industry.

Long story short, buy this game you will not be disappointed. Worth every penny.

This game is an updated version of the one released for the original Xbox, PS2, and the Wii with 3 added tables, higher resolution graphics, and better physics, so if you're looking to buy this game (you should be) make sure this is the version you buy.

I'm currently 35, and when I was a lot younger, I used to frequent the local arcades. Unfortunately for me, I only occasionally paid attention to pinball. Back then, I was under the impression that your point totals were simply based on your reflexes and timing of using the flippers so I concentrated on video games. After purchasing Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, I now see how completely wrong I was in that assumption and how I missed out on some really good gaming. Pinball tables had a lot of depth to them, from lane changing, to earning scoring multipliers and multiball play, to making the jet bumpers increase their point values, and so on. A lot of thought went into the design of pinball tables and I wish I wasn't ignorant to this fact until now when it's rare to see a pinball machine out in the wild.

This game has 13 accurately recreated real life tables, some of the best that Williams had to offer from the 70s, 80s, and 90s (and after reading up on them, they have MANY more great tables so hopefully we see them recreated in another game or offered as downloadable content), these are not made up tables like you see in Pinball FX on the 360 or Zen Pinball on the PS3.

Although I missed out on these in the arcade, the hard work put into this game really gives an accurate representation of what it would have been like to play these in person. Of course I realize that NOTHING beats the real feel of playing these in person, but since I can't go back in time, this is the next best thing, the physics of the ball seems very realistic, from the way it bounces off of targets or travels around the playfield, and the I think the controls are mapped perfectly on my 360's controller - the triggers operate the left and right flippers, the right analog stick is the plunger, and the left analog stick is used to nudge the table. The sounds of the machines are spot-on as well.

I think this game has a lot of replayability too as each table has a list of goals to accomplish to earn your achievements. These goals are really teaching aids to teach the ins and outs of each table so if you were like me and had no idea about the depth these tables had, you'll quickly learn how you were missing out. There's also an option in the menu of each table called "Instructions" that is a very good tutorial that shows each and every feature the table has to offer. The newer tables like Medieval Madness and Tales of the Arabian Nights have so much depth to them, it's insane, and I'm very glad for these tutorials as there's no way I would have figured all of the stuff I could do on my own.

This game really is for everybody. If you're into pinball, this game is a no brainer. If you're a casual gamer, this game would be a fantastic choice as it is a TON of fun and a great pick up and play game if you don't have a lot of time, and there's a lot of depth to it if you do have the time. If you're a hardcore gamer this game is also a great choice because after you beat the Basic Goals of each table, there are Wizard Level Goals that are very challenging to achieve if you're looking to up your Gamerscore. If you're looking for a great family game, this game is easy to pick up and play, and you can set up a 4 player tournament to include any number of tables you've unlocked for Free Play.

I have a ton of fun with this game and it is probably the best game I've purchased in years, well worth the budget price.

I have owned the Wii version since it came out. I was stunned at the high definition gameplay when compared to the Wii. I can actually read all of the lights on the tables now - they are blurry on the Wii (IMO). I own Funhouse, but still thoroughly enjoy playing it on the Xbox. I can't believe how accurately they have recreated these tables. I love pinball and would easily have spent a few hundred dollars to get these digitally created classic tables. For $20, this is a no brainer. If you have ever played even one of these tables, this is a great trip down memory lane. Support possible future table releases by buying this title!

Love this game! I have played many of the actual Pinball machines showcased in this game and Must say the game is extremely accurate to the real machines. They have the old machines in addition to some of the modern machines.
The only gripe I have is I wish they could have gotten the licensing to get some of the movie themed pinball machines such as Indiana Jones and Demolition man in addition to TV show based games such as twilight zone and statrek next generation. Maybe next installment we will be indulged?
Anyway, Nice job by Crave Entertainment! All the fun of the real thing without the expense.

This is simply the best pinball game available today. Given as much time I have spent on this game, at ~$30 I dare say it is the best value for *ANY* X360 or PS3 game (across all genres). It is fun, addictive, and challenging.

I am a huge fan of pinball, and I have personally played 9 of the 13 tables you get in this game. Physics are spot on, too. I am no scientist, but I can tell you that that the table "feel" is just amazing. There is a particular shot in Taxi (Joy-Ride) that I cannot hit consistently to save my life. However my son can, but struggles with other shots on the table. Hilarity ensues as certain ironies are realized, and we generally have a great time playing that table in the local sub shop. We loaded up Taxi right out of the box, and we have the exact same experience. Just incredible.

One of the only unrealistic aspects of playing this game is that the tables are in immaculate condition, which is quite difficult to find in real life these days. Flippers are full power, all slingshots and bumpers pop beautifully, and the ramps work well. I cannot really complain about that, obviously! If you nudge (what real pinball player doesn't nudge?), then you will be in heaven - trust me.

I do not see the full table list quickly available, so here is what you get:

Medieval Madness (#3 ranked machine of all time per [...])
No Good Gofers
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Funhouse
Whirlwind
Taxi
Space Shuttle
Pinbot
Black Knight
Sorcerer
Firepower
Gorgar
Jive Time

You simply cannot go wrong buying this game. I cannot wait for downloadable content, nor will you once you play it.

There is an on-line leaderboard that greatly magnifies the replay value already inherent for pinball lovers and newbies alike. I have done fairly well on a couple of the tables (Gamertag: Recster), so I look forward to your challenge. Enjoy!

If you're a pinball fan and an Xbox 360 owner, then you must have this game. It's a fantastic translation. There are a lot of great touches here, such as the old-fashioned arcade presentation, the leaderboards, and the wonderful tutorials. There are a few things that should have been dealt with to make this title perfect. Here is my list of things that could have been done differently:

- Option to lock cameras so that you don't have to set them every time you play, and so that a mistaken button-press doesn't change your camera at a crucial moment.

- More control options--you should be able to use the d-pad and the abxy buttons to control the flippers if you want.

- Dip-switches should be changeable to alter the settings of the games. These games had a ton of operator-selectable options and it would have been great to explore them. There could be one "standard" option for purposes of the leaderboards.

- Option to flip the screen to a horizontally-oriented machine. If you have a smaller LCD, you could flip it on its side and see the whole table at once.

None of these suggestions ruin the game. It is a fun game with great pinball feel, but I think these would enhance the game, especially the expanded button options and the camera-lock ability.